Re-weldability tests of irradiated austenitic stainless steel by a TIG welding method

Austenitic stainless steel (SS) is widely used for the in-vessel and ex-vessel components of fusion reactors. In particular, SS316L(N)-IG (IG-ITER Grade) is used for the vacuum vessel (VV), pipe lines, blanket modules, branch pipe lines connecting the module coolant system with the manifold and for the other structures of ITER. One of the most important requirements for the VV and the water cooling branch pipelines is the possibility to repair different defects by welding. Those components which may require re-welding should be studied carefully. The SS re-weldability issue has a large impact on the design of in-vessel components, in particular, the design and efficiency of radiation shielding by the modules. Moreover, re-welded components should operate for the lifetime of the reactor. This paper deals with the study of re-weldability of un-irradiated and/or irradiated SS316L(N)-IG and the effect of helium generation on the mechanical properties of the weld joint. Tungsten inert gas (TIG) welding was used for re-welding of the SS.